


Exchanging of the Hearts

by KivaEmber



Series: The Straw Hat and Heart Pirates 'Alliance' [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Fluff, M/M, Post-Dressrosa AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2018-04-08 19:43:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4317390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KivaEmber/pseuds/KivaEmber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Dressrosa AU. All they did was exchange hearts, just to make the alliance 'til death did them part. It wasn't as if they were married or anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exchanging of the Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Обмен сердцами](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7733026) by [sir_Krowley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sir_Krowley/pseuds/sir_Krowley)



> This would technically be before the other two fics in the Alliance Series, where their weird relationship was only beginning to edge into something vaguely romantic. I always like to think that they always just kind of ended up together and only realised it once they were in too deep.

“It’s really warm.”

 

Law didn’t reply to Luffy’s hushed words, instead watching him from the corner of his eye, his posture lazily relaxed against Sunny’s mast. It was night, of course, for that was when they normally had their private talks, the air chilled with a fine mist that was easily fended off by proper clothing. Luffy, of course, was not wearing proper clothing, and so was tucked up against his side to stay warm, cradling Law’s heart between his calloused palms. Luffy’s own was thudding away against his breastbone, a strong, slow beat that soothed him in ways he could not explain.

 

Luffy laughed suddenly, a strangely quiet one, his breaths visible as a silvery vapour. “It tickles too when it moves, look,” he held out his hands so that Law could see better, heart beating between his palms. “It’s like holding a baby animal.”

 

Law graciously ignored that comparison. “Are you going to admire it all night?”

 

“Yes,” Luffy said without a shred of shame, pulling the heart close to himself again, his head resting against Law’s shoulder, eyes rapt on the organ he was cradling. “I’m surprised you gave it to me.”

 

Yet despite saying that, Luffy looked anything but. When Law had first extracted his heart under his curious gaze and held it out to him, the Straw Hat had taken it without hesitation, treating it with a gentle carefulness and something like _knowing_ in his gaze. He didn’t ask why or anything. He simply took it, and held it, and stayed still when Law immediately moved to take his own and place it within his own chest.

 

“I trust you,” Law said after a brief pause, lifting his eyes to watch the starts twinkling above. A shooting star whizzed by – he considered it briefly. “I don’t want you to think it’s me making a late insurance on our alliance or anything, this exchange. We’re far beyond that now. It’s because I…”

 

Law didn’t finish. Luffy didn’t press.

 

“Well, I like it,” Luffy said happily, turning it gently in his palms before holding it out. “Put it in me?”

 

“Bold,” Law murmured, but the innuendo was lost on Luffy. He took his heart, shifted his body away – and Straw Hat was already straightening up, turning towards him and pushing his shirt open wider, exposing the perfect square where his heart once was. Law’s own heart slotted in there perfectly. Ah, it was as if it was made for him.

 

Luffy laughed again, louder and more boisterous, pressing a hand over his chest, where the part of his scar gave way to smoother, darker skin for a short, interrupted moment with beginnings and endings of inked lines, in the shape of a perfect square. “It tickles.”

 

Law watched Luffy squirm around, the corners of his mouth threatening to turn up into a smile; “Think you can handle it? We can switch back if you want.”

 

“No, no no, this is fine,” Luffy settled, but his hand remained over his – Law’s – heart, fingers tracing the sharp outline. “If I die, will it kill you too?” he asked candidly.

 

“Yes,” Law leaned back against the mast, his gaze returning to the starry sky above them. Luffy was still squirming slightly, little movements with each beat of Law’s heart – just how ticklish was this rubberman? “So try not to do anything too stupid when we part ways. I don’t want my death to be me randomly keeling over on the toilet when you stick your neck out too far.”

 

“Hmmm… no promises,” Luffy’s voice was filled with amusement, “Besides, I should be saying that to you. From my experience in Dressroba-”

 

“Rosa.”

 

“-Rosa… you spent half the time almost dead,” a slight pause, “Or tied up.”

 

“We achieved our main aim of defeating Doflamingo – the details are unimportant,” Law said stiffly, his arm giving a phantom ache at the reminder. Even he was amazed that he survived that mess with all limbs functioning and intact. Sure, his arm was a little stiff and not quite as strong as it used to be, but it was _usable_.

 

“Mmhm,” Luffy was laughing at him, he just knew it, but it seemed the rubberman was feeling tactfully kind that night and said no more on it. He sprung to his feet in a sudden movement, and Law could only stare in bemusement when he proceeded to do some rapid squats.

 

“…the hell are you doing?”

 

“I wanna see if you can feel it!” Luffy laughed, sounding a little breathless – and he did, he could feel Luffy’s heart beginning to flutter rapidly from the exertion, something that teased the edges of his nerves in a way that made his toes curl. Oh, that was a dangerous sensation. “Is it working?”

 

Law reached out with his sword and smacked Luffy upside the head with it, interrupting his ridiculous squatting session; “Stop that and sit down. You look stupid.”

 

Luffy huffed at him, but he obligingly stopped, cheeks faintly flushed and breaths quick, mouth curved into a mischievous little grin – oh no, that was dangerous too – and startled suddenly, hand over his chest. “Hey, Traffy, your heart just skipped.”

 

“Probably just your imagination,” Law muttered, pulling the brim of his hat down and resolutely closing his eyes. He heard Luffy shuffle abut in front of him, but he refused to look, feeling the ship gently loll beneath him, the noise of lapping waves filling the silence. He felt himself begin to doze off.

 

“You know,” Luffy said suddenly, and Law drowsily half-listened; “When I become Pirate King, does this heart thing mean you’ll be the Queen? I mean, it’s like exchanging rings or something, but more creepy, right?”

 

“…” Law opened his eyes and lifted his head, staring at Luffy blankly; “Queen?”

 

“Well, yeah…” Luffy tilted his hand and cupped his chin, “If we had _two_ Pirate Kings, people will get confused, won’t they? Unless – you can be the Pirate Prince!”

 

Law decided not to touch this conversation with a ten foot pole – Luffy was making it sound like they were _married_ or something, God forbid. They only switched hearts. “Go to sleep, Luffy-ya. You’re spouting nonsense.”

 

Luffy wrinkled his nose, “Oh fine, you can be Pirate King too. I’ll just be #1 and you can be #2… or you can be Pirate King-Queen…”

 

Law unsheathed his blade by an inch. “ _Sleep_.”

 

The rubberman immediately fled with claims that he needed a midnight snack (forgive him, Black Leg-ya). It seems not even he was immune to the threat of Law sending his various body parts flying across Sunny’s deck. Law resettled against the mast. The quiet left from Luffy’s absence would normally be lonesome, but…

 

He briefly pressed his hand over his chest, where Luffy’s heart lay fluttering a little from his mad retreat. That would be impossible now, to feel lonely. He was stuck with that hard-headed idiot for life. His smiled into the collar of his coat, and let his hand drop, the muffled noises of Sanji and Luffy’s argument filling the silence.

 

He remembered his vow, after all, made in the midst of pain, blood loss, and crazed, fervent hope: if Luffy was to fall, then he would fall with him, even if that happened halfway across the world from him.  


End file.
